Hermiston, Oregon | |
|---|---|
 Riverfront Park & Umatilla River | |
| Etymology:Hermiston, Edinburgh (district of capital ofScotland) | |
| Motto: "Where life is sweet." | |
 Location inOregon | |
| Coordinates:45°49′58″N119°17′06″W / 45.83278°N 119.28500°W /45.83278; -119.28500 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Umatilla |
| Incorporated | 1907 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
• City | 8.43 sq mi (21.83 km2) |
| • Land | 8.43 sq mi (21.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 482 ft (147 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 19,696 |
| • Density | 2,296/sq mi (886.5/km2) |
| • Metro | 92,261 |
| Demonym | Hermistonian |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific) |
| ZIP code | 97838 |
| Area code | 541 |
| FIPS code | 41-33700[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410748[2] |
| Website | hermiston.or.us |
Hermiston (/ˈhɜːrməstən/) is a city inUmatilla County,Oregon, United States. Its population of 20,322[5] makes it the largest city inEastern Oregon. Hermiston is the largest and fastest-growing city in theHermiston-Pendleton Micropolitan Statistical Area, the eighth largestCore Based Statistical Area in Oregon with a combined population of 92,261 at the2020 census.[4] Hermiston sits near the junction ofI-82 andI-84, and is 7 miles south of theColumbia River, theWashington state line,Lake Wallula, and theMcNary Dam. The Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics anddata center activity due to the proximity of the I-82 and I-84 interchange,Pacific Northwest fiber optic backbone, and low power costs.[6]
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The historic inhabitants of the area were the indigenousUmatilla,Cayuse,Walla Walla, andColumbia Indians, descendants of peoples who lived in this area for thousands of years. The earliest European settlers established a mission nearPendleton in 1847. The territorial government organized Umatilla County in 1862 from the largerWasco County.
Hermiston's early development was plagued by rivalry between The Maxwell Land & Irrigation Company and developers Skinner & Newport, who both fought to establish their own town of Hermiston in the exact same spot, centrally located in the irrigation district along theOregon Railway and Navigation Company's main line. While Maxwell was able to secure the train depot on the West side of the tracks, initially naming it after themselves, Skinner & Newport filed their own Hermiston plat directly across the tracks in November 1904, beating the Maxwell Company's filing by two days.[7] With neither side willing to cede to the other, two separate business districts formed on either side of the tracks, Hermiston Avenue on the West side and East Main street (there is no West Main Street) on the East side, defiantly placed one block off so they didn't align. Each district featured its own bank, hotel and mercantile but East Main street would eventually win out.[8]
The rival developers eventually settled their differences and on July 10, 1907, the two towns were incorporated as a single Hermiston. Colonel J. F. McNaught, an early settler in the region, is credited with originally coming up with the Hermiston name, which was taken fromRobert Louis Stevenson's unfinished novelWeir of Hermiston.[9]
The greater Hermiston region began to see irrigated agriculture in 1908, with the completion of theU.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Umatilla Basin Project in the form of Cold Springs Reservoir.[10] The region saw modest growth until the outbreak ofWorld War II, when theUmatilla Army Depot was constructed, causing Hermiston's population to jump from 803 at the 1940 US Census to 3,804 in 1950. The region continued to experience modest growth for the next several decades until the 1970s, when low power costs coupled with the development ofcenter-pivot irrigation resulted in a significant expansion in agricultural acreage put in to potato production. The expansion of potato production coincided with the development of large potato processing plants byLamb-Weston andSimplot, focusing on frozen potato products. The associated economic development drove Hermiston's population to nearly double from 4,893 in 1970 to 9,408 by 1980. The 1990s brought additional large employment developments to the Hermiston region in the form ofTwo Rivers Correctional Institution, a Wal-MartDistribution Center, expansion of the Union Pacific Hinkle Rail Yard, and beginning of theUmatilla Army Depot's Chemical Weapon Incineration process. The 2000s have seen continued growth and diversification of the regional economy as Hermiston has grown to a population of 19,354 at the 2020 Census and has become a regional center for commercial and professional services.
The city is also known for itsWatermelons, which are part of its branding.[11]
Hermiston serves as the retail and services center for much of western Umatilla County,[12] as well asMorrow County and parts ofGilliam county. Hermiston's Local Trade Area, which describes the area where people will travel to purchase items on a weekly basis, stretches fromPendleton on the East, theColumbia River to the North,Heppner to the South, and Gilliam County to the West. There were 46,000 people living within Hermiston's Local Trade Area based on 2010 U.S. Census data.[13] Despite a relatively robust local retail & services market, Hermiston experiences significant retail sales leakage to theTri-Cities for items purchased on less than a weekly basis. The Tri-Cities, located approximately 30 minutes north of Hermiston in Washington, had a metro-area population of 275,740 as of April 1, 2014, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Washington.[14]
The Greater Hermiston area, which encompasses theHermiston,Umatilla,Stanfield, &Echo zip codes, and equates to a less than 10-minute commuting distance, has seen strong job growth since 2012. The Hermiston area added 2,930 jobs from 2012 to 2022, which equates to 91% of all net job growth inUmatilla County over that time.[15] More recently, Greater Hermiston accounted for 114% of Umatilla County job gains from 2019 to 2022 as a result of 1,121 jobs added compared to net losses of 74 and 48 jobs inPendleton andMilton-Freewater respectively.[16]
Hermiston has the largest 30-mile-radius workforce in Eastern Oregon. According to 2022 U.S. Census estimates, there were 144,664 people actively employed and living within a 30-mile radius of Hermiston;[17] in comparison, there are 101,119 in the next-largest 30-mile regional Labor Shed in Bend.[17] Hermiston-area employers benefit greatly from the proximity of the Tri-Cities in Washington which, based on light traffic, and easy freeway access, is approximately 30–35 minutes to the north of Hermiston. This proximity also allows dual-income households good access to employment opportunities for both wage earners.
According to the City of Hermiston's2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[18] the top employers in the area are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon Web Services | 2,058 |
| 2 | Wal-Mart Distribution Center | 1,050 |
| 3 | Good Shepherd Healthcare System | 767 |
| 4 | First Coast Security | 750 |
| 5 | Lamb Weston - Hermiston | 625 |
| 6 | Hermiston School District | 623 |
| 7 | Two Rivers Correctional Institution | 440 |
| 8 | Wal-Mart Supercenter | 356 |
| 9 | Union Pacific Railroad | 300 |
| 10 | Marlette Homes | 250 |
The City of Hermiston Parks Department maintains 15 parks, 15 landscape areas, and 100-plus acres for the enjoyment of the community. In addition to the developed parks, the department also has 50 additional acres planned for future development.[19] Recent major enhancements include the additions of Riverfront Park, the Oxbow Trail, and continual additions to the Hermiston Family Aquatic Center. Riverfront Park features 16 acres of open grassy areas alongside the Umatilla River, as well as nearly a mile of paved walking paths, with picnic shelters, restrooms, and fishing access. A 1.8-mile paved walking path, named the Oxbow Trail, was added in 2015 to connect Riverfront Park with the north side of town near Good Shepherd Medical Center. The Trail winds through protected wetland area for nearly the entirety of its length and also connects to Harrison Park.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.81 square miles (20.23 km2), all land.[21]
Distance to major cities:
Hermiston's recent population growth is due to its proximity to large cities in thePacific Northwest and its location along two major freeways.[22][23]
According to theKöppen climate classification system, Hermiston has asteppe climate (Köppen BSk). This gives the area hot dry summers with high daytime temperatures which do cool considerably overnight, and relatively cold winters which typically yield several snow storms per year with relatively minimal accumulation. On June 29, 2021, a max temperature of 118 °F (48 °C) was recorded in Hermiston, which is just one degree below the new all-time record high temperature for the State of Oregon, which was set at the nearbyPelton Dam, which is also in Jefferson County, on the same day.[24]
| Climate data for (Hermiston Municipal Airport), Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1898, 1998–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 71 (22) | 79 (26) | 90 (32) | 100 (38) | 118 (48) | 119 (48) | 110 (43) | 100 (38) | 88 (31) | 78 (26) | 72 (22) | 119 (48) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.5 (15.3) | 61.7 (16.5) | 70.0 (21.1) | 81.3 (27.4) | 93.2 (34.0) | 99.1 (37.3) | 104.9 (40.5) | 102.8 (39.3) | 93.3 (34.1) | 79.2 (26.2) | 69.3 (20.7) | 61.3 (16.3) | 106.2 (41.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.3 (6.3) | 49.4 (9.7) | 59.1 (15.1) | 66.6 (19.2) | 76.2 (24.6) | 82.2 (27.9) | 92.7 (33.7) | 91.0 (32.8) | 81.2 (27.3) | 66.5 (19.2) | 50.7 (10.4) | 42.1 (5.6) | 66.8 (19.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 36.0 (2.2) | 39.3 (4.1) | 46.4 (8.0) | 52.8 (11.6) | 61.2 (16.2) | 67.6 (19.8) | 75.6 (24.2) | 73.9 (23.3) | 64.6 (18.1) | 52.7 (11.5) | 41.5 (5.3) | 35.2 (1.8) | 53.9 (12.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 28.7 (−1.8) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 33.7 (0.9) | 38.9 (3.8) | 46.3 (7.9) | 53.0 (11.7) | 58.6 (14.8) | 56.8 (13.8) | 47.9 (8.8) | 39.0 (3.9) | 32.3 (0.2) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 41.1 (5.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 10.8 (−11.8) | 12.3 (−10.9) | 18.1 (−7.7) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 31.5 (−0.3) | 41.6 (5.3) | 45.3 (7.4) | 44.5 (6.9) | 34.7 (1.5) | 22.6 (−5.2) | 13.8 (−10.1) | 7.8 (−13.4) | −1.0 (−18.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −12 (−24) | −1 (−18) | 0 (−18) | 16 (−9) | 24 (−4) | 38 (3) | 38 (3) | 38 (3) | 26 (−3) | 7 (−14) | −8 (−22) | −16 (−27) | −16 (−27) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.14 (29) | 0.86 (22) | 0.77 (20) | 0.78 (20) | 0.83 (21) | 0.64 (16) | 0.12 (3.0) | 0.17 (4.3) | 0.33 (8.4) | 0.80 (20) | 1.05 (27) | 1.12 (28) | 8.61 (219) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.5 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 7.7 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 7.5 | 10.3 | 10.5 | 80.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[25] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020)[26] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 647 | — | |
| 1920 | 647 | 0.0% | |
| 1930 | 608 | −6.0% | |
| 1940 | 803 | 32.1% | |
| 1950 | 3,804 | 373.7% | |
| 1960 | 4,402 | 15.7% | |
| 1970 | 4,893 | 11.2% | |
| 1980 | 9,408 | 92.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,040 | 6.7% | |
| 2000 | 13,154 | 31.0% | |
| 2010 | 16,745 | 27.3% | |
| 2020 | 19,354 | 15.6% | |
| Sources:[4][27][28][29][30][31][3] | |||
Portland State University's Population Research Center (PRC) provides the official annual population estimates for cities and counties to the State ofOregon for the purposes of state shared funding allocations.[32] PSU's 2023 Certified Population Estimate for Hermiston was 20,322.[33] Due to the PRC's more detailed analysis, these estimates have proven more accurate than the U.S. Census Bureau's annual estimates.
As of the U.S.2020 census, there were 19,354 people residing in the city,[34] a growth of 2,609 residents since the 2010 Census. Due to its consistent growth registering as an outlier among rural communities across the U.S., the 2020 Census figure far out-paced the Census Bureau's 2019 estimate for the community of 17,782.[34] This same phenomenon occurred with the community's 2010 Census count far exceeded government estimates from 2009.
The racial makeup of the city was 56% White, 0.6% African American, 1.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 22.6% from other races, and 17% identified as more than one race. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.2% of the population.[35]
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 16,745 people, 6,050 households, and 4,184 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,144.0 inhabitants per square mile (827.8/km2). There were 6,373 housing units at an average density of 816.0 units per square mile (315.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.2%White, 0.8%African American, 1.3%Native American, 1.5%Asian, 0.2%Pacific Islander, 19.0% fromother races, and 3.0% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 34.9% of the population.[4]
There were 6,050 households, of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% weremarried couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.28.[4]
The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 31.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.3% were from 25 to 44; 20.8% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.[4]
Hermiston School District is the largest district inEastern Oregon, with 5,508 students in the 2020–21 school year.[36] The district has one high school,Hermiston High School, which hosts 1,703 students.[36] Due to the school's size, it is able to offer comprehensive programming and courses for all students. The district also is composed of two middle schools and six elementary schools. There are also two private schools in Hermiston.
Voters in the Hermiston School District have shown strong support for education as the district has experienced sustained robust enrollment growth. Voters approved a $69.9 million capital construction bond in November, 2008,[37] and another $82.7 million capital construction bond in November, 2019.[38] The 2019 bond added a new elementary school near the intersection of NE 10th and Theater Lane, and replaced the 57-year old Rocky Heights Elementary School on-site with a larger facility. The 2019 bond will also add capacity for an additional 200 students at Hermiston High School.[38]
| School | Construction Year |
|---|---|
| Loma Vista Elementary | 2022 |
| Rocky Heights Elementary (Rebuild) | 2022 |
| Armand Larive Middle | 2011 |
| Sunset Elementary | 2011 |
| West Park Elementary | 2010 |
| Desert View Elementary | 2001 |
| Sandstone Middle | 1995 |
| Hermiston High | 1992/2001 |
| Highland Hills Elementary | 1980 |
Hermiston High School competes at the 3A level in theWashington Interscholastic Activities Association. This cross-state membership was approved by the WIAA in 2017 in recognition of the lack of comparable sized large high schools elsewhere inEastern Oregon.[40] The second largest High School in Eastern Oregon wasPendleton, with only 815 students, compared to Hermiston's 1,703. The WIAA membership allows HHS to compete in the Mid-Columbia Conference against high schools from Kennewick, Richland, Pasco, and Walla Walla, Washington and significantly reduce travel times for conference games.
Blue Mountain Community College has a branch in Hermiston.Eastern Oregon University also hostsundergraduate and graduate-level courses at the Eastern Oregon Higher Education Center in Hermiston.
Hermiston benefits from being near the exact center of the Pacific Northwest, and at the crossroads of several major interstate highways. Drivers can easily access all four major Northwest metropolitan areas in just a half-day's drive.Portland is less than 3 hours to the West, and drivers can also reachSpokane in less than 3 hours to the northeast, whileSeattle andBoise are both approximately 4 hours away to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Highways serving Hermiston includeInterstate 84 andU.S. Route 30, both of which run east–west,U.S. Route 395, which runs north–south, andInterstate 82, which has its southern terminus near Hermiston and continues north toEllensburg, Washington.
Major transportation-related businesses in Hermiston includeWal-Mart's Northwest Distribution Center, and bothFedEx andUnited Parcel Service (UPS) have freight distribution facilities in Hermiston.
Hermiston is on the La Grande Subdivision of theUnion Pacific Railroad, constructed originally through the area in the 1870s as theOregon Railroad and Navigation Company. Railroad facilities include theHinkle Locomotive Service and Repair Facility and "hump yard" located just outside the city.
Hermiston Municipal Airport is a city-owned airport serving General Aviation pilots, corporate jet traffic, agricultural operations, and cargo operations. There are currently no commercial flights out of Hermiston.
Tri-Cities Airport is located approximately 40 minutes north of Hermiston, and offers commercial flights to Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Portland, San Francisco, and Phoenix. In 2014, due to strong growth in demand, the Port of Pasco approved a $42 million renovation and expansion, that will double the size of the current terminal.
Municipalities and communities ofUmatilla County, Oregon,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
